Centre to consider TN's desalination plant proposal

Chennai, Jan 27 (UNI) Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the Centre would consider the Tamil Nadu Government's proposal to set up a 100 Million Litres a day (MLD) sea water desalination plant at a cost of Rs 993 crore at Nemeli near Mammallapuram, about 50 km from here.

''We will consider it'', he said, after receiving the Detailed Project Report (DPR) from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at the latter's residence.

Mr Chidambaram said he came to meet the Chief Minister to thank him for the Government's decision to set up a shipyard at Ennore Port and other announcements in the Governor's address to the State Assembly.

The State Government, with a view to augmenting the drinking water supply to Chennai, had decided to set up a Central Government-funded 100 mld sea water desalination plant at Nemeli.

The DPR was submitted to the Chief Minister by State Local Administration Minister M K Stalin a couple of days back, after it was approved by the State Steering and Monitoring Committee.

The DPR was prepared by Mecon Ltd, a Central Government undertaking, and Addeco Technologies of Switzerland.

The water from this plant would be sent to the distribution centres at Velachery, Pallipattu and Thiruvanmiyur, from where it would be supplied to various parts of the city.

UNI GV MSJ KP1928